Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Austin, TX Gay Bashing

Apparently even the most liberal city in Texas isn't immune to a good old fashioned gay bashing. Two friends were leaving Oilcan Harry's (a bar I've spent many a night at) last weekend when they were followed and subsequently attacked by 4 men. Check out Queerty for pictures of the victims.

As the college-aged gay guys were getting beaten up, the attackers called them fags. They weren't robbed, so the message of the beating seems pretty clear.

Let me go off on a slight tanget here. Just in case there is any question--had these 4 men run up to them and called them "fags" and not beaten them up, no crime would have been committed. Those people that try to claim that hate crimes are "thought crimes" or restrict freedom of speech are either ignorant on the law or are outright lying. These guys were beaten up because they were gay, in Texas' most liberal city, no less. The fact that this still happens sickens me (and scares me all at the same time).